This study examines seventy years of history education research in Korea by dividing its development into three periods: the formative stage (1956‐1979), the expansion stage (1980‐2004), and the maturation stage (2005‐2025). Through this periodization, the study demonstrates that history education research evolved from an initial phase in which historical scholarship was applied to education into an independent academic field encompassing diverse topics and methodologies. During the formative stage, history education research was largely characterized by the introduction of historical studies into educational contexts, along with emerging attention to curriculum and textbooks. Although the relationships among history education, history and pedagogy were not clearly defined, this period laid the foundational groundwork by recognizing the necessity of history education as a field of inquiry. In the expansion stage, the diversification of academic journals and the rapid increase in publications broadened the research landscape. While Korean history remained dominant, history education studies gained greater visibility, addressing new themes such as local history, elementary education, and historical thinking. These discussions were institutionalized through special issues and reflected in curriculum and textbook revisions. In the maturation stage, history education increasingly asserted its identity as a subject-based educational discipline, with growing emphasis on teaching and learning practices, field-based research, and contemporary issues such as East Asian history, democracy, historical consciousness, and museums. Based on this historical trajectory, the study identifies three key challenges for future research: redefining the relationship between history education and historical scholarship, strengthening the linkage between theory and practice, and translating academic discourse into educational policy and practice.
Dong Yeon Jung (2026) studied this question.